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Looking for information on what this means and needs to be done. Service advisor at MB wondered if the car was sitting for an extended period of time - “drive it around or let it run for 45 minutes and it should clear” - It has not cleared. I am unable to toggle to other menu items in an attempt to clear the message manually using buttons on the steering wheel. Headlights stay on even with the switch in OFF. Other accessories (radio, etc) appear to work just fine - buttons located by the armrest keypad work.
Started without a fuss earlier and took her for a spin around the block - not going too far for fear of breaking down....nothing seemed out of the ordinary, motor purring like a cat except for that annoying “Charge Battery” message still visible.
Appointment has been scheduled for a checkup at the MB dealership.
Internet searches including MBWorls has yielded limited information from DIY checking the serpentine belt, the accessory batteries and a little of this and that coming short of an actual professional diagnosis and remedy.
2012 one battery (engine compartment) no battery management control module. MB replaced module with battery sensor incorporated into ground line. Have someone check for fault codes using MB diagnostics reluctant to do so, try replacing battery sensor part # 2215420718. EBay new about $120, used about $50.
Looking for information on what this means and needs to be done. Service advisor at MB wondered if the car was sitting for an extended period of time - “drive it around or let it run for 45 minutes and it should clear” - It has not cleared. I am unable to toggle to other menu items in an attempt to clear the message manually using buttons on the steering wheel. Headlights stay on even with the switch in OFF. Other accessories (radio, etc) appear to work just fine - buttons located by the armrest keypad work.
Started without a fuss earlier and took her for a spin around the block - not going too far for fear of breaking down....nothing seemed out of the ordinary, motor purring like a cat except for that annoying “Charge Battery” message still visible.
Appointment has been scheduled for a checkup at the MB dealership.
Internet searches including MBWorls has yielded limited information from DIY checking the serpentine belt, the accessory batteries and a little of this and that coming short of an actual professional diagnosis and remedy.
Any information would be appreciated. Thanks.
2012 S550 4MATIC
Yes, I fixed it. First, get yourself a multimeter and measure your voltage at the main battery (the big one under the hood) with the car running and under electrical load. Not sure of voltage but at least 13.5 volts. Check to see if the buttons on your steering wheel all function, especially on left side. Can you scroll and select, does it show on Instrument cluster? If you can scroll and select problem may be charging related. If you can't problem may be, as in my case, instrument cluster related. Took me quite awhile to figure that one out. Somehow the cluster and gateway I think, lost communicating ability. Total clusterf**k, no pun intended. I found somewhere on the web where some tech had found the same problem on a few s550's that everyone else was attributing to charging or software issues, not the case. New IC very expensive and has to be flashed to the car, cannot be reflashed, I believe, if car is driven over 100 miles since new. There is a workaround I think, been awhile. Somebody on the net said they could download the info and somehow reflash with new chip,I never got that
far. I went out and bought a used cluster and installed it. I can't remember but I'm pretty sure the charging lights went out and the steering wheel buttons all worked. However some of the safety systems would not work, probably coded to car. Just before I was going to send original cluster out for repair I reinstalled it back in car and the damn thing worked fine. No charging light, battery indicator light, all buttons work. That was 1 year 1-1/2 ago. How and why I don't know. Assumption is installing used cluster somehow reestablished pathway between IC and gateway/ other components. IC removal not bad at all, video online, 15-20 minutes first time. Remember that car uses a smart alternator. I checked all that stuff out both batteries alternator all fine, drove me nuts. I still have the other IC cluster I used for the "reboot" if your interested. Is this your problem, I don't know. If all the other normal thing check out good start thinking about this.
Thank you to all responses. Instead of replying individually, I will try to respond to all questions and suggestions via posting to the general thread.
- started fine on Saturday morning and took her for a spin around the block
- buttons on steering wheel not functioning; unable to scroll through the menu; screen stuck with Charge Battery message
- would not start on Sunday; was able to unlock the door via touching the door handles; entry lights came on.
- tried starting via keyless go was a no go. Using the key fob inserted yielded no result as well.
- while trying to start dash lights came on, but the motor just would not turn over completely, just some clicking sounds as though the motor was really trying hard to start.
- the clock whirring away noisily while the hands completed a full circle resetting itself.
I have no tools, so a multi meter is ought of the question. As for DIY trouble shooting via swapping out parts, flashing or a software update is beyond me and best left for trained MB service professionals.
In the initial post, I was successful in starting and taking her for a spin around the block, i did switch lights OFF. Apparently, there seems to be additional components consuming battery power even when the car is parked and locked. Something drained the battery between yesterday and today. I just hope that a jump start will be sufficient to get me to the MB dealership.
The car has a comprehensive extended bumper-to-bumper warranty which I am now very glad I took.
An update to include diagnosis and the remedy upon completion is forthcoming and may be of interest to any and all those experiencing a similar situation. What can I say, I miss the ride!
Thanks again for replying and resourcefulness.
2012 Mercedes-Benz S550 4MATIC
Last edited by MNowrangi; Sep 20, 2020 at 03:37 PM.
Reason: More Information
9/21- Jump started front battery. Positive to Positive. Negative to Ground. After about 10 minutes she started without fuss. Drove her without incident to the MB Dealership.
Diagnosis & Remedies:
9/22 - 9 year old front battery needed replacement. Was told that the car needs to be driven and not sit to prolong battery life. There are a lot of components that require powering. Accessory battery located in the trunk was just fine. Battery is not covered under warranty.
9/23 - SAM Module needed replacement. SAM stands for Signal Acquisition Module. A SAM module (also called Signal Actuation Module) receives data from sensors, switches, and controllers, and can send data, actuate (activate) components and monitor systems. Mercedes-Benz has been using SAM modules since the mid-90s.
A google search for SAM module yielded a lot of information, YouTube videos and pricing. This was covered under warrant!
The car drives exceptionally well, floating on the freeway all gleaming and shiny from the complimentary wash. We intend to keep her for a very long time!
There, you have it. Hope, this is of help to anyone experiencing a similar situation. The S550 is an absolute blast and fun to drive. However, buyer beware a warranty is a must or be prepared for outrageous maintenance expenses.
9/21- Jump started front battery. Positive to Positive. Negative to Ground. After about 10 minutes she started without fuss. Drove her without incident to the MB Dealership.
Diagnosis & Remedies:
9/22 - 9 year old front battery needed replacement. Was told that the car needs to be driven and not sit to prolong battery life. There are a lot of components that require powering. Accessory battery located in the trunk was just fine. Battery is not covered under warranty.
9/23 - SAM Module needed replacement. SAM stands for Signal Acquisition Module. A SAM module (also called Signal Actuation Module) receives data from sensors, switches, and controllers, and can send data, actuate (activate) components and monitor systems. Mercedes-Benz has been using SAM modules since the mid-90s.
A google search for SAM module yielded a lot of information, YouTube videos and pricing. This was covered under warrant!
The car drives exceptionally well, floating on the freeway all gleaming and shiny from the complimentary wash. We intend to keep her for a very long time!
There, you have it. Hope, this is of help to anyone experiencing a similar situation. The S550 is an absolute blast and fun to drive. However, buyer beware a warranty is a must or be prepared for outrageous maintenance expenses.
I don't know if this will help anyone else but thought I would post just in case. Recently had the battery die on our 2013 S550, with no prior warning of it going down. While waiting for AAA to come jump-start the car, I repeatedly pressed the Start ignition button and held it down for a few seconds each time, hoping there might be enough juice left for the engine to catch and turn over, but no such luck. While I was doing this the "Charge Battery" message came up on the dash. After having the car jump-started I drove it to our local indy shop to have the battery replaced, which they did, but they couldn't get the "Charge Battery" message to clear and you could not toggle through the menu options. I opted to bring it back for them to further trouble-shoot, as they indicated it could be one of three different modules that were bad and causing a communication glitch. That night at home I decided to try a few things myself, including pressing the Start ignition button down and holding it in for a few seconds as I had done earlier trying to get the engine to turn over. On the second such time of pressing the Start button and holding it in, the Charge Battery message cleared and I was able to toggle through the menu options again. That was over a week ago and the problem has not come back. The indy shop said that by doing what I did, it somehow cleared up the communication glitch / path in the system. Hope this helps someone else, because it was a quick, easy and $0 fix.
this odd bug that never seems to go away has afflicted many owners of the post 2009 facelift cars, and this is the first idea I have ever seen to get the message to stay gone....
Yes, I fixed it. First, get yourself a multimeter and measure your voltage at the main battery (the big one under the hood) with the car running and under electrical load. Not sure of voltage but at least 13.5 volts. Check to see if the buttons on your steering wheel all function, especially on left side. Can you scroll and select, does it show on Instrument cluster? If you can scroll and select problem may be charging related. If you can't problem may be, as in my case, instrument cluster related. Took me quite awhile to figure that one out. Somehow the cluster and gateway I think, lost communicating ability. Total clusterf**k, no pun intended. I found somewhere on the web where some tech had found the same problem on a few s550's that everyone else was attributing to charging or software issues, not the case. New IC very expensive and has to be flashed to the car, cannot be reflashed, I believe, if car is driven over 100 miles since new. There is a workaround I think, been awhile. Somebody on the net said they could download the info and somehow reflash with new chip,I never got that
far. I went out and bought a used cluster and installed it. I can't remember but I'm pretty sure the charging lights went out and the steering wheel buttons all worked. However some of the safety systems would not work, probably coded to car. Just before I was going to send original cluster out for repair I reinstalled it back in car and the damn thing worked fine. No charging light, battery indicator light, all buttons work. That was 1 year 1-1/2 ago. How and why I don't know. Assumption is installing used cluster somehow reestablished pathway between IC and gateway/ other components. IC removal not bad at all, video online, 15-20 minutes first time. Remember that car uses a smart alternator. I checked all that stuff out both batteries alternator all fine, drove me nuts. I still have the other IC cluster I used for the "reboot" if your interested. Is this your problem, I don't know. If all the other normal thing check out good start thinking about this.
Very informative... i believe i have a relay issue, but thanks to you.... i now have a a better diagnosticte outlook.... I bet the input voltage change during pin disconnect "rebooted" system.... I will check my incoming voltages with a scope, time permitting
I don't know if this will help anyone else but thought I would post just in case. Recently had the battery die on our 2013 S550, with no prior warning of it going down. While waiting for AAA to come jump-start the car, I repeatedly pressed the Start ignition button and held it down for a few seconds each time, hoping there might be enough juice left for the engine to catch and turn over, but no such luck. While I was doing this the "Charge Battery" message came up on the dash. After having the car jump-started I drove it to our local indy shop to have the battery replaced, which they did, but they couldn't get the "Charge Battery" message to clear and you could not toggle through the menu options. I opted to bring it back for them to further trouble-shoot, as they indicated it could be one of three different modules that were bad and causing a communication glitch. That night at home I decided to try a few things myself, including pressing the Start ignition button down and holding it in for a few seconds as I had done earlier trying to get the engine to turn over. On the second such time of pressing the Start button and holding it in, the Charge Battery message cleared and I was able to toggle through the menu options again. That was over a week ago and the problem has not come back. The indy shop said that by doing what I did, it somehow cleared up the communication glitch / path in the system. Hope this helps someone else, because it was a quick, easy and $0 fix.
nice !
we have loads of owners with the light stuck on and no on e fixes it and no one ever seems to come back if its ever been fixed they seem to give up and get rid of the car
sounds like you found the Merc software trick they built in to rip off owners
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